Normalizing furnace



D.20,193s. QBHOAK 2,141,108

NORMALIZING FURNACE Filed Dec. 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Afforneus D86. 20, 1938. c B, HQAK 2,141,108

- NORMALIZING FURNACE Filed Dec. 9, 1957 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 lnvenidr Dec. 20, 1938. c. B. HOAK 2,141,108

NORMALIZING FURNACE Filed Dec. 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 wm m .4 lfnrneys 1 Dec. 20, 1938. B. HOAK 2,141,108

NORMALI Z ING FURNACE Filed Dec. 9, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NORMAIJZING FURNACE owl-me B. Honk, Steubenville, Ohio Application December a, 1937, Serial No. 179,003

' 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for treating elongated material such as strip steel, wire, etc., the

wherein material can be treated in an efficient manner to prevent scaling.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a furnace of the character stated wherein application of high and low. temperatures "can be executed in a definitely regulated manner.

Still another important object of the invenio tion is to provide a furnace in which strip metal can he treated efficiently and wherein an inert gas is employed in the sealed passageway through which the strip material passes.

These and various other important objects and 2c advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevational view of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view so of a modified form of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the structure shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view showing one of the butterfly valves.

Figure 'l is a side elevational view of the roller mount employed in the form ofthe invention shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an edge elevational view of the roller mount shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view disclosing the electrical connections between ,the heating elements employed in the form of the invention shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional view through another modified form of the invention. 1

Figure 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view modified heating means of the drum showing a for the drum.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen in Figure 1 v 7 that the machine consists of the upper and lower sealing tanks 5-6. Rising from the top of the lower sealing tank is the jacket wall structure 55 generally referred to by numeral I, this being secured in place by suitable means 8. This wall structure 1 is made up of the outer shell 9, the inner shell l0 and heat insulating material ll interposed between these walls.

The upper portion of the interior of the wall structure 7 is to be known as the heating zone A, while the lower interior portion is known as the cooling zone B.

The wall structure I is, preferably square in cross section and at opposite sides of the heating zone portion of the shell are the manifolds l2-I 3. Extending from each of these manifolds i2-l3 is a series of vertically spaced. longitudinal L- shaped pipes ll, those of one series alternating with those of the other, said pipes extending into the shell along .one side thereof and outwardly through another side and along the side wall at these fuel lines l6-l6 extend along opposite sides of the wall structure, while the manifolds l2-l3 extend vertically along the remaining two sides of the wall structure. As is shown in Figure 3, the pipes ll extend across'each other to define a vertical clearance through the wall structure, through which the drum ll of rectangular cross section extends. This drum 11 extends upwardly and downwardly through the closed upper and lower ends of the wall structure and terminate within the. sealing tanks 5-6.

Each of the pipes II has a butterfly valve l8 therein adjacent its corresponding manifold 52-13 whereby the amount of hot air passing through the pipes H can be regulated.

The aforementioned hot air pipes M are located of course within the heating zone A, while the manifolds i 9-20 are located opposite the cooling zone B and are likewise provided with L- shaped pipes 21 which extend into the wall structure l in the same manner as the pipes N to afford a clearance for the drum H.

A blower 22 is provided for each of the mani folds l920 for supplying cold air to the pipes 2|. The outlet ends of the pipes 2l' are provided with pivotal closure plates 23 whereby the passage of cold air through these pipes 2| can be regulated.

Tubes 24 extend into the lower portion of the wall, that is, into the zone B for spraying water -into the cooling zone portion of the drum H.

A tube extends from the upper portion of the drum 81, that is, above the wall I, downwardly at the outside of the wall to again communicate with the drum I'I below the cooling zone B. This tube is provided with the water jacket 2% having the inlet 26a and the outlet 2% so that fluid of the desired temperature can be supplied to the said jacket. In the lower portion of'this tube 25 is the suction fan or pump 21'.

Inert gas is circulated through the tube 25 and drum I! by means of the pump El.

It can now be seen that the tanks 56 are substantially filled with water or some other suitable liquid and that the upper portion of the druml'l extends into this liquid while the lower end depends into the liquid of the tank 6. The ends of these tanks are equipped with rollers 28 between which the strips of material 29 to be treated are trained. Other rollers 30 can be provided between the" ends of the tank and the drum li, as well as at the upper and lower ends of the drum over which the strips 29 can pass and be spaced in their transit through the drum from each other.

As the lower end of the drum is thus sealed oil by the liquid in the tank 6 and as the upper end of the drum is sealed off by reason of the immersed disposition of the sidewalls 32 of the shed-like structure 33 in the liquid of thetank 5, the gas in the conduit 25 must move in a closed circuit and none of the same is consequently lost.

It can be seen that while the heat. in the tubes M can be regulated by adjusting the burners IS, the air passing through the tubes 2| is regulated by the dampers 23 (see Figure 1).

A slightly modified form of the invention is shown in Figures 4 and 5 wherein the wall structure is denoted by reference character 1a. In

this form of the invention the lower sealing tank 6 is employed, but the upper sealing tank 5 is eliminated, as the strips of material 29a to be treated are brought in through the lower portion of the apparatus and trained upwardly through the conduit l5a and then back down the conduit or drum and out again through the bottom of the apparatus.

In this connection, a cap-like structure 36 is bolted as at 31 to the upper end of the drum I50. and has the screw shank 38 of the yoke 39 disposed therethrough. A bridge member 40 is interposed between the upper end of the drum liar and the screw 38 is disposed through the top of the cap 36 and this bridge member 40. Cam nuts 4i- 42 are engaged against the top of the cap 36 and the bridge piece 40 to prevent vertical adjustment of the screw member 38.

Rollers 4344 and 45 of different sizes are rotatably mounted in the yoke 39, these being of diil'erent sizes so that the strips 29a to be treated can pass over these rollers and be maintained in spaced relation from each other, that is, in their transit through the drum I511.

Instead of heat tubes 2| as shown in Figure 2, the apparatus canbe provided at the heating zone A with electrical heating elements 46 at the outer side of the drum l5 (see Figure 10). These heating elements may be arranged in any manner desired, but are preferably arranged in parallel relation to the supply line 41-48 with switches 49 employed between the ends of these heating elements and the sides of the line 4148 so that as many of these heating elements can ami es be cut in or out of heating zone A as may be desired from time to time to regulate the temperature of the zone A.

In regard to the use of the inert gas, it is to be understood that the inert gas acts as a good conductor of the high and low temperatures afiorded by the heating means and cooling means surrounding the drum ii. In this manner the correct temperatures are transmitted directly from the temperature creating source to the strips being treated.

The walls of the drum ll should also be of good heat conductive 'material,

By varying the heat in the individual tubes l4, the heat of the inert gas can be varied along the entirelength of the drum in the heating zone A.

Should steam be substituted for the inert gas, the strips of material being treated will turn a bluish color, this being known as steam bluing.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the'spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A combination furnace for bright-annealing or steam bluing strip material comprising a vertically disposed elongated mufile of heat conducting material open at both ends and through which said material is fed, means at each end of said mufiie to seal said ends, a closed jacket surrounding said muflie intermediate said ends thereof and forming a continuous chamber around the same, means to optionally circulate inert gas or steam through the jacketed part of said muiile including a conduit passing from said mum'e adjacent the opposite ends of the jacket, temperature varying means for said chamber dividing the same into upper and lower heating and cooling zones, respectively, and pipes extending through said jacket into the cooling zone of said chamber for the introduction of water thereinto.

2. A combination furnace for bright-annealing or steam bluing strip material comprising a vertically disposed elongated mume of heat conducting material open at both ends and through which said material is fed, means at each end of said mutlle to seal said ends, a closed jacket surrounding said muille intermediate said ends thereof and forming a continuous chamber around the same, means to optionally circulate inert gas or steam through the jacketed part of said mufile lncluding a conduit branching from said muflle adjacent "opposite ends of the jacket,

and temperature varying means for said cham- 

